The Portland daily press., 1887-09-14
Doctors Made to Order.
New York Times. ]

Some' astonishing revelations regarding
the manner in which medical colleges are
conducted in this country were made at the
meeting of the American Academy Of Medi-
cine in Washington last Saturday, which
seem to require more serious attention than
the medical fraternity has yet given them.
DR.. Frederick III. Gerrish, Of the Maine
Board Of Health, gave the result Of his in,
vestlgations regarding the preliminary edu-
cation required by the colleges of candidates
for admission, and the result Is not calcu-
lated to add TO the confidence which medi-
cal diploma Is intended TO inspire in the
public mind. DIR. Gerrish conducted his in
quiry through the medium OF an S-year-Old
girl. whose handwriting, though fair for
child OF her age, gave ample evidence Of the
immaturity OF the writer. This girl made
written application for admission TO the va
rious colleges engaged In turning out doctors
TO order, Of course under an assumed name
and In each application she confessed her
absolute Ignorance of natural philosophy or
some other study, proficiency in which is
necessary to qualify person for the stndy
OF medicine. and the answers to these appli-
cations form the result Of DIR. Gerrishs In
yestigation.
About one-half the answers received by
the child, and by her turned over to the doc
tor, Informed her that she could not enter
the course prescribed until she was able to
pass the preliminary examination, including
the studies in which she had confessed her
ignorance These came from institutions
which are evidently intent upon filling their
high mission with credit to themselves and
for the benefit of suffering humanity. They
all advised the applicant not TO begin the
study of medicine until the proper fOunda-
tion for il had been laid. The other half,
however. eyinced a Willingness TO take the
fee Of the applicant, and promised to make a
doctor Of her in spite Of ter confessed in
ability TO pass the examination prescribed in
their prospectuses as necessary to gain I'D
mission to their halls. DIR. Gerrish read
specimens of some Of these answers, and
they would be highly entertaining but for the
gravity OF the consequences involved in turn
ing out upon the world an army Of inc0mpe-
tent practitioners. One college wrote en-
couragingly: "Our examination Is not diff
ficult; no one has yet failed to pass"
Another kindly wrote: Natural phil0sO-
ply Is not required, except as a suggestion in
the line Of liberal education" A third,
bent on quieling all anxiety ON the part OF
the applicant. wrote The preliminary ex-
aminations are not difficult, and no desery-
ing applicant Is rejected on account of not
being able to pass them. Call and see me
when you are IN the city, and will fix 1t so
you can enter"
1t is to be regretted that DIR. Gerrish did
not furnish the names Of the medical coll
leges which made these open offers to accept
his decoy student without subjectlng her TO
d II.
lie at large would take a great interest In
marking the career Of physicians holding d.
plomas from these institutions, and possibly
1t was the fear Of throwing discredit upon
really able practitioners who have been un
fortunate enough TO be graduated from these
very colleges that restrained the doctor from
publishing the names Of the colleges. Still,
the community which depends upon the skill
of its physicians for the preservation Of
health has a right TO demand that no man
shall be sent out into the world with the di-
ploma of medical college unless he Is fully
competent to perform the work concerning
which that diploma gives certain guaran-
tee; and no man who has merely passed
through a course of memorizing medical
works. without the preliminary education
which makes the memorizing effectual, Is en-
titled to such diploma. In the hands of
such man II Is fraud upon the community,
and fraud Of the most dangerous kind
The Institutions which issue diplomas un-
der such circumstances are not entitled TO
the name Of medical colleges" They are
simply mills for the manufacture Of quaeks,
and should be so regarded and treated by all
reputable practitioners.
To begin the study Of medicine without a
preliminary knowledge OF physics Is like at
tempting to master trigonometry without a
knowledge Of algebra, and the colleges which
accept medical students In such circumstan-
ces are trihlng with the most precious inter
ests Of the world, the life and health Of COM
munities. That hundreds Of incompetent
physicians receive diplomas annually Is a
fact which everybody has long suspected,
but that persons are tempted by colleges to
begin the study of medicine without having
the requisite preparatory education upon
which to found the science has been demon
strated in public manner for the first time
by DIR. Gerrish's investigation. 1t Is his duty
to let the world know what colleges are en-
gagged in this fee grasping conspiracy at the
expense of communities. The breeding
places Of the quacks should be pointed out,
and public fairly warned can then be relied
On IN nrntaet itself